A three-person syndicate specialised in child stealing and trafficking has been arrested by the operatives of the Ondo State Police Command.
The syndicate, a 62-year-old woman, Sabira Izuorah, and a couple, Isiaka Lukman and Abosede Lukman, was arrested after a case of a missing child was reported at Okuta Elerin-Nla Police Division in Akure, the state capital.
Parading the suspects at the State Police Command headquarters in Akure, the Commissioner of Police (CP), Wilfred Afolabi, said that four babies aged between one week and two months old, and 10 other children between two and seven years old, were recovered from the suspects.
CP Afolabi further hinted that Izuorah, from Ihiala in Anambra State, was the buyer, while Isiaka aged 42 and Abosede aged 23, from Ibadan, Oyo State, were the sellers.
According to the CP, the couple were arrested through intelligence-led policing when traced to Ottah Village in Edo State.
He said, “During interrogation, the suspects (couple) admitted to abducting the child and other children from Ondo and Osun States.”
CO Afolabi, who further disclosed that the couple admitted to selling their victims to Sabira in Ihiala, Anambra State, at the rate of N1million per child, said Sabira was arrested in Ihiala and four babies were found in her custody.
“A complainant reported that a man, Samuel Adejobi (real name: Lukman Isiaka and a woman, Ewatomi (real name: Abosede Olanipekun), came to her shop pretending to be siblings to eat.
“While playing with the complainant’s child, Abosede deceived her by claiming she wanted to buy biscuits for the baby.
“Meanwhile, Lukman distracted the complainant by engaging her in a personal conversation and requested she follow him to Olukayode Plaza in the market to get a mobile phone.
“On getting to the market area, he abandoned her and left. The complainant, on getting back to the shop, discovered that her child was missing with no trace of Abosede, the supposed sister of the man she followed to the market.
“A case of a missing child was reported at Okuta Elerin-Nla Division in Akure.”
Through intelligence-led policing, the suspects were traced to Ottah Village in Edo State, where they were arrested.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted to abducting the child and other children from Ondo and Osun States and selling them to one Sabira Izuorah ‘f’ age 62 years) in Ihiala, Anambra State, at the rate of N1m per child.
“Subsequently, Sabina was arrested in Ihiala and the following babies were found in her custody.”
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